Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, June 27 to 28, 2006

Name: Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, June 27 to 28, 2006
Start: 2006-06-27T09:00
End: 2006-06-28T14:00
Location: Pennsylvania

June 27 to 28, 2006 · NWS BGM · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BGM wrote it up.

Tropical moisture streamed northward into northeast Pennsylvania ahead of a frontal system which slowly moved westward into the eastern Great Lakes by Tuesday morning the 27th. This brought 2 to 5 inches of rain to Lackawanna County and began significant flash flooding by Tuesday morning. Later on Tuesday another more substantial area of heavy rain moved into Lackawanna County as the front moved back east and combined with a low pressure system moving up the eastern seaboard. This additional rainfall caused massive flash flooding from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday. Total rainfall in Lackawanna County ranged from 7 to 15 inches. This extreme rainfall sent streams and creeks overflowing their banks in Moscow and Goldboro by mid-morning Tuesday. By late morning, widespread flash flooding was occurring across many parts of the county. The flooding damaged 200 homes, destroying 2. There were at least 18 businesses damaged. Over 500 were evacuated with 20 people being rescued from the raging flood waters. There were 22 roads damaged with 2 roads destroyed. During the height of the flash flood, there were 30 roads closed, including Interstate 81 from exit 199 in northern Lackawanna County north to the New York border. There were no deaths, but damages are estimated to be at least 50 million dollars.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Binghamton, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 27, 8:08 AM EST, 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 27, 8:08 AM EST, 52 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
908 AM EDT TUE JUN 27 2006

.SHORT TERM (TODAY - WEDNESDAY)...
UPDATE...HAVE MADE SOME CHANGES TO WEATHER AND POPS BASED ON CURRENT
RADAR AND TRENDS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

PREVIOUS DISC...
NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED FROM 24 HOURS AGO.  RAINFALL CONTINUES TO
STREAM NORTH INTO FA IN AREA OF DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW...AS TROF
REMAINS TO OUR WEST AND BERMUDA HIGH REMAINS EAST.  CONVECTION
INCREASING AGAIN THIS MORNING ACROSS CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA...SIMILAR
TO LAST NIGHT.  THIS IS ALL STREAMING NORTH INTO AREAS THAT CANNOT
HANDLE ANY MORE RAINFALL AND UPSLOPE FLOW MAY LEAD TO LOCAL
ENHANCEMENT TO PCPN THIS MORNING.  BACK EDGE OF PCPN BEGINNING TO
ENTER SRN ZONES...BUT JUST AS IT APPEARS TO HAVE AN END MORE
DEVELOPS.  THIS WILL BE THE TREND MOST OF THE DAY AS AIRMASS REMAINS
SATD WITH PW VALUES NEARING 2.00 INCHES AND 40KT LLJ CONTINUING.  FA
WILL ALSO REMAIN IN DIVERGENCE AREA OF UL JET...THUS CATEGORICAL
POPS ARE IN ORDER FOR TODAY.

RIDGING MAY BE ABLE TO BUILD FAR ENOUGH WEST TO LEAD TO JUST SCTD
PCPN ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN ZONES TODAY.  DRYING BEING SEEN ON WV HAS
PUSHED INTO NJ AND SHUNTING PCPN TWD CENTRAL/WRN AREAS CURRENTLY.
HOWEVER...ANY SUN THAT MAKES IT THRU TODAY WILL LIKELY RESULT IN
CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY WHERE UPSLOPE WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ACROSS
POCONOS AND CATSKILLS.  GIVEN THE AIRMASS IN PLACE AND FFG VERY LOW
IN THESE AREAS...POSSIBILITY OF FLDG REMAINS TODAY AS STORMS WILL
LIKELY BE VERY EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCERS.  HAVE SIDED WITH GFS/CANGEM
GUIDANCE AS WRF HAS HAD TENDENCY TO SHUNT PCPN BACK WEST TOO QUICKLY
PAST SEVERAL DAYS.  GFS AND CANGEM KEEPS HEAVY RAIN AXIS FURTHER
EAST AND PREFER THEIR QPF DEPICTION.

SCENARIO GOES QUICKLY DOWNHILL TONIGHT.  TROPICAL LOW CURRENTLY OFF
THE FL/GA COAST WILL GET CAUGHT UP IN MOISTURE PLUME AND RIDE NORTH
QUICKLY TONIGHT.  GFS SLIGHTLY FASTER WITH SYSTEM AND SPREADS PCPN
INTO FA ARND 06Z.  WRF IS SLIGHTLY SLOWER AND KEEPS HEAVIEST RAIN
OUT OF AREA UNTIL 12Z OR SO.  ONCE AGAIN...PREFER GFS SOLN AND WILL
INCREASE POPS TO CATEGORICAL FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...CONSIDERING
THE DIVERGENCE ALOFT AND STRONG THETA-E CONVERGENCE OVER REGION.  AN
ADDNL 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT...POSSIBLY LOCALIZED
HIGHER AMOUNTS DEPENDING ON ANY CONVECTION.  HPC HAS ALMOST ENTIRE
FCST AREA IN MODERATE RISK FOR XCSV RAIN...WITH HIGH RISK DEPICTED
FOR AT LEAST HALF OF THE FA.

THAT SAID...WILL CONTINUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA-WIDE FOR TODAY AND
TONIGHT AND ALLOW LATER SHIFTS TO ADJUST TIMING.  THREAT FOR FLASH
FLOODING CONTINUES TO INCREASE AS GROUND BECOMES INCREASINGLY
SATURATED.
AS WE GO INTO TONIGHT...IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH FOR RAIN TO RUN OFF
INTO AREA RIVERS AND SITUATION WILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED.
-PB

&&

.AVIATION (27/06Z TO 28/06Z)...

MAIN AREA OF RAIN EARLY THIS MORNING IS LOCATED FROM NORTH CENTRAL
PA NORTH ACROSS CENTRAL NY... INCLUDING THE ELM...ITH AND SYR TAF
SITES. EXPECT THIS AREA TO WEAKEN AND MOVE NORTH DURING THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS... BUT ADDITIONAL BANDS OF HVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP THRU WEDNESDAY MORNING. CIGS AND VSBYS WILL BE LOCALLY IFR
IN HEAVIER RAIN BANDS THRU TONIGHT... OTHERWISE EXPECT MAINLY VFR
VSBYS AND MVFR TO VFR CIGS WITH SCT SHOWERS. BEST CHC FOR THUNDER
WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON.  -MSE

&&

.LONG RANGE (WED NIGHT - SUNDAY)...
WET CONDS CONT AS THE FCST AREA REMAINS UNDER THE UPPER TROF. TROF
AXIS GNRLY CNTRD OVER THE GREAT LAKES AND VARIOUS SHRT WVS WILL
ROTATE THRU KEEPING THE AREA UNSTABLE WITH THE RISK OF A SHWR AT
ALMOST ANY TIME. MADE ONLY SLGT ADJUSTMENTS TO HPC GUID IN TEMPS AND
POPS.  -MORFORD

&&

.BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.NY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-
055>057-062 UNTIL 8 AM EDT WEDNESDAY.
.PA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PAZ038>040-043-044-047-048-072 UNTIL 8
AM EDT WEDNESDAY.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 27, 2:41 AM EST, 6 hours 19 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
341 AM EDT TUE JUN 27 2006

NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-055>057-062-PAZ038>040-043-
044-047-048-072-280745-
NORTHERN ONEIDA-YATES-SENECA-SOUTHERN CAYUGA-ONONDAGA-STEUBEN-
SCHUYLER-CHEMUNG-TOMPKINS-MADISON-SOUTHERN ONEIDA-CORTLAND-
CHENANGO-OTSEGO-TIOGA-BROOME-DELAWARE-SULLIVAN-BRADFORD-
SUSQUEHANNA-NORTHERN WAYNE-WYOMING-LACKAWANNA-LUZERNE-PIKE-
SOUTHERN WAYNE-
341 AM EDT TUE JUN 27 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NEW
YORK...SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK AND NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AN EXTREMELY MOIST AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. WITH THE GROUND ALREADY SATURATED DUE
TO RECENT RAINFALL...FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND
TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE
EXPECTED...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. ANY RAIN THAT
FALLS WILL QUICKLY RUN OFF INTO AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS...CAUSING
MANY TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS. THUS...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO ALBFFABGM
WGUS61 FOR THE LATEST DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF
HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING. RAINFALL SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE INCH OR GREATER.

PB

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 27, 3:57 AM EST, 5 hours 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
457 AM EDT TUE JUN 27 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0415 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WYALUSING               41.67N 76.26W
06/27/2006                   BRADFORD           PA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ROCKSLIDE OCCURRED IN TOWN AS A RESULT OF VERY HEAVY
            RAINFALL

0445 AM     FLASH FLOOD      CORTLAND                42.60N 76.18W
06/27/2006                   CORTLAND           NY   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY-WIDE STREET FLOODING

0445 AM     FLASH FLOOD      VESTAL                  42.08N 76.05W
06/27/2006                   BROOME             NY   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY-WIDE STREET FLOODING

0448 AM     FLASH FLOOD      LITTLE MEADOWS          41.99N 76.13W
06/27/2006                   SUSQUEHANNA        PA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            BRIDGE FLOODED IN TOWN. WATER TOPPED BRIDGE AND IS NOW
            ENTERING HOMES.

&&

PB

Local storm report, Jun 27, 4:42 AM EST, 4 hours 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
542 AM EDT TUE JUN 27 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0535 AM     FLASH FLOOD      CHITTENANGO             43.05N 75.87W
06/27/2006                   MADISON            NY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING ACROSS NORTHERN PART OF
            COUNTY. SEVERAL HOMES EXPERIENCING CRUMBLING FOUNDATIONS
            DUE TO HIGH WATER.

&&

PB

Local storm report, Jun 27, 7:13 AM EST, 1 hour 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
813 AM EDT TUE JUN 27 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0710 AM     FLASH FLOOD      COLCHESTER              42.17N 75.08W
06/27/2006                   DELAWARE           NY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS ROADS CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING

0710 AM     FLASH FLOOD      HANCOCK                 41.95N 75.28W
06/27/2006                   DELAWARE           NY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ALL ROADS CLOSED IN THE TOWN

0810 AM     FLASH FLOOD      NESCOPECK               41.05N 76.21W
06/27/2006                   LUZERNE            PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ROUTE 93 FLOODED IN NESCOPECK AND CONYNGHAM. NUMEROUS
            CREEKS OUT OF THEIR BANKS ACROSS THE COUNTY. NUMEROUS
            ROADS FLOODED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

&&

PB

The radar

The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Lackawanna

When: June 27, 9:00 AM EST to June 28, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Lackawanna County, Countywide
Property damage: $50 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.437, -75.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, June 2006

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5516311.